


Wingman

by noxsoulmate



Series: Hookup ~ Wingman ~ Date [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bottom Castiel, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Gay Castiel (Supernatural), Jealous Dean, M/M, Openly Bisexual Dean Winchester, SPN AU Big Bang 2017, Top Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 04:09:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13046193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxsoulmate/pseuds/noxsoulmate
Summary: Worst case scenario while pining for one’s best friend? When said best friend wants to play wingman on a bros’ night out. Only, Cas has no idea how to tell Dean that all he really wants is Dean. Enter Balthazar, which soon raises the question: who is the actual wingman?





	1. A bros' night out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [majel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/majel/gifts).



> I'm alive ^^"
> 
> Here's my first entry for the [SPN AU Big Bang](http://spn-au-big-bang.tumblr.com/) \- which also happens to be a sequel to my fic "Hookup" ^_^ if you haven't read that yet, don't worry: "Wingman" works as a stand-alone. Huge Thanks to the wonderful [idjitsaviors](https://idjitsaviors.tumblr.com/), my amazing artist :D it was a real blessing working with you! And thanks so much for jumping in as beta reader <3  
> For beta reading also huge thanks to [rebowyer2000](http://archiveofourown.org/users/rebowyer2000/pseuds/rebowyer2000) <3
> 
> For those that are reading "Lumberjack Cookies" - thank you so much for being patient and looking out for me. I'm doing okay, just working double time in real life rn because of sick colleagues :/ so all I can promise right now is this: the fic WILL happen and will certainly never be abandoned. Maybe it's going to be a Christmas present for you <3

**Chapter 1**

 

Castiel was in hell.

There was no better way to describe the current situation. It was one thing to pine for your best friend. It was a completely different thing when said best friend suddenly took an interest in your sex life and went out with you so you could hook up with a random stranger. It was certainly the worst when he also tried to play wingman the entire evening.

“Dean, I’ve told you,” Cas tried to argue for the umpteenth time. “I’m not interested.”

“Nuh-uh,” Dean replied, finishing the sip of his beer – and no, Cas was not trailing the bob of Dean’s Adam’s apple and he was certainly _not_ trailing Dean’s tongue when it licked his lips. Dean put the beer down on the corner of the pool table and bent over to take the next shot. “You, my friend,” he went on, looking up and sending a devilish smirk in Cas’ direction, “Are not gonna die a virgin. Not on my watch.”

Frowning, Cas took up the little chalk cube and let it wander over the tip of his own cue as a distraction so he wouldn’t fantasize about Dean’s position all too much. “Was that a badly used movie quote?” he asked, grumbling a bit for good measure. “We’re not on your watch, I’m not about to die, and I’m certainly not a virgin anymore.”

“Might as well be one again,” Dean murmured, just loud enough for Cas to hear, his eyes following the white ball as it knocked first the full blue and then the full purple one into two pockets. A quick grin, then he wandered around the table. Closer to Cas, giving him just the perfect view as he bent down again. Cas quickly grabbed his own beer and took two large sips.

 

 

 

Only once Dean had pocketed the solid green ball and stood up straight again did his words finally register with Cas. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dean stopped assessing the table for his next shot and looked up and over at Cas, mustering him. “Oh, come on. You know what I mean.”

“I certainly do not.”

“Cas, I’ve known you for what now? Seven months? Eight?”

“Nine,” he replied coldly because even though Dean was his best friend by now, Cas would certainly never forget the day or the way they had first met.

“And have you been with anyone since then?”

Cas didn’t reply, just kept frowning at Dean.

“See, I take that as a _no_. You’re basically virginal again.”

“Please stop saying that word.”

“And you became a prude,” Dean added, poking Cas’ side with the cue. He was pretty sure Dean would take back at least the prude-comment could he read Cas’ thoughts about Dean and “poking with a cue”.

Instead, he caught the cue and grumbled out, “Who says this isn’t how I’ve always been?”

“My gut feeling, that’s who.” Dean even threw him a wink and Cas rolled his eyes, but let go of the cue so Dean could bend down for the next shot.

“I’m not a prude, though,” Cas finally said once Dean had pocketed the yellow and the orange ball and was now aiming for the dark red one. “I just don’t see the point of dragging a random stranger to the bathroom for a quick blowjob.”

Dean jerked and missed the perfect contact point with the cue ball, sending it in a slightly wrong direction. Instead of pocketing either of his red balls, he got the striped blue one. It rolled towards one of the corner pockets as if in slow-mo and with the last breath of energy, it tipped over and fell in. “Damn!”

“Thanks,” Cas commented dryly, pushing Dean aside with his hips to finally take his turn. He had some catching up ahead of him. His green and yellow balls followed quickly and just as he bent down for the orange one, Dean started talking again.

“It’s not even about quick hookups, Cas. What about a date? Or even just going out with friends.”

“Thought that’s what we were doing right now.”

“I mean other friends. More friends than just me.”

“If I annoy you this much, you could have just said so,” Cas told him, knocking the orange ball straight into the pocket with a bit more force than strictly necessary.

“Cas,” Dean rebuked him in a slightly harder tone. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

Cas ignored his friend for the moment, concentrating on the next target. His dark red ball landed in the pocket on the opposite side, however, his next try failed, the light red ball derailed on its way by Dean’s.

Sighing, Cas stood up. “Look, can we just drop it? I thought this was supposed to be a fun night out.”

“We can sure drop the topic,” Dean began, his eyes already on the table again, searching for the right angle. “But I still stand by my point: I’m your wingman tonight and we’re going to get you a guy.”

“As a wingman, shouldn’t you let me win so I’m looking good?” Cas asked, scowling at the solid red ball that found its way into the pocket directly in front of Cas’ crotch.

Great.

Cas looked up from the pocket and right into Dean’s green eyes, full of mischief and his boyish smirk.

“Trust me, you do look good.”

Swallowing hard, his mouth suddenly dry, Cas went over to where he had left his beer, draining it in one go. Just in time, he looked back to see Dean’s last ball vanishing from the table and a quick gaze showed him that the eight ball was perfectly lined up in front of the right pocket. Without much hassle, Dean knocked it in, ending the game.

“Great,” Cas groaned out, taking another sip – only to find his bottle empty.

Dean was next to him in a heartbeat. “Perfect timing, my friend. See that guy over there at the bar?”

Once again, Cas looked up at his friend. However, Dean wasn’t looking back. In fact, he wasn’t even looking at the bar, probably trying to be smooth and not make it look like they were both checking someone out. Sighing again, Cas let his eyes wander over the area of the bar as if he was trying to decide on a new drink.

“The guy in that gray V-neck and dark gray suit jacket,” Dean whispered close to his ear, his breath ghosting over Cas’ skin, making it hard to think straight. “He’s been checking you out for a while now.”

His eyes found the person in question and it seemed Dean was quite right: the guy was looking over at them and when he caught Cas’ gaze, he raised his cocktail glass and saluted him. Quickly, Cas turned back around. “No.”

“No?”

“No. Dean, I’m not here for that. Can we just go back to the game?”

“The game is over for now. Besides, I need to take a piss and you,” Dean added, clinking his bottle against Cas’. “You, my friend, need a new drink.”

“But our table,” Cas argued as he simultaneously tried not to ogle Dean while his friend finished off his own beer. “If we both go someone else might take it.”

“If you play it right, you won’t need the pool table much longer.” For good measure, Dean even wiggled his eyebrows. Pushing his empty bottle into Cas’ hand, he added: “So go. Pretend you’re getting us another round.”

“But –”

“Stop arguing. Live a little.”

With that, Dean pushed him slightly in the direction of the bar. Cas wanted to protest again but when he looked back, all he could see was Dean’s retreating back, the man squirming his way through the crowd in the general direction of the restrooms.

Sighing once more, simply because, Cas looked back and over towards the bar. Once his eyes landed on the blond stranger again and he found him still staring in his direction, Cas squared his shoulders and marched over.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Dean was quite happy with himself.

His friend had had a few rough months and it was certainly time the guy enjoyed himself a bit more. Dean would help him with that wherever he could – and certainly _not_ because he still felt guilty. Because he didn’t. Because there was absolutely no reason for him to feel guilty. The rational side of Dean Winchester even knew that.

Drying his hands, Dean balled up the paper towels and tossed them in the trash can. He certainly had stayed in the restroom for long enough, even going so far as to play a few rounds of Angry Birds on his phone, all to give Cas enough time to talk up the guy at the bar. He sure hoped his sacrifice was helpful. At least he didn’t have to suffer, the bathroom being one of the cleanest he’d ever seen in a bar. Kicking open the restroom door with his hip, he made his way back to their pool table. He was stopped for a moment when he saw an old friend at the darts. He greeted Asa, giving him a friendly hug, and asked how he had been. They agreed that they should go fishing again sometime, before Dean moved on. Finally, he found his way back to their pool table, only to see that Cas had been right. It was occupied by a group of guys that looked like they might still be teens and were just so allowed into this bar. They checked him out without much finesse or discretion and Dean rolled his eyes. He was certainly not into kids. Nope, Dean preferred grown-up men and women.

Ignoring the kids, he moved passed the table until he had a free view towards the bar –

And froze.

There was Cas – _his Cas_ – standing between the blond’s legs and actually kissing the guy.

Dean wanted to _whoop_ in joy. He wanted to grin and pat himself on the back for a job well done. Maybe he even wanted to walk over there and rib Cas a bit for finally taking that step.

But something felt wrong.

Something felt definitely off about that picture.

Dean couldn’t figure out what it was.

He was still wondering about it when Douchebag stopped kissing Cas and instead put his lips to Cas’ ear and whispered something into it. A moment later, Cas was laughing. Like he really meant it. It was not one of those “I’m laughing because it’s polite”-things Cas often had to force out of himself. No, it was a real laugh. He seemed to enjoy himself and Dean should be happy for him. He should be ecstatic about his friend having a good time.

Yet, there was this gut feeling that something was off.

He still pondered over it when the Douchebag whispered yet again into Cas’ ear. What the hell was there that the two had to whisper about? And then Cas replied something before – _what the actual fuck_ – before he leaned in to give the guy a peck on the lips. With a smile, Cas turned around and came over towards Dean. Although, no, he didn’t come over to Dean. Cas went for his trench coat, which he had left on the windowsill closest to their pool table. While he untangled it from Dean’s leather jacket, he looked up, apparently seeing Dean for the first time. The happy grin that had been on his friend’s lips grew a bit wider.

“Oh, Dean, good. Hey, you don’t mind me leaving, right?”

“Leaving?” Dean choked out, completely taken off guard.

Cas didn’t seem to notice as he already pushed his arms through the trench coat. “Yeah, Zar invited me over. You were right, the guy is pretty awesome and I guess I should just enjoy it, right?”

Gaping, Dean tried to find the right words. “… Zar?”

“Oh, yeah. Balthazar,” Cas replied, hooking a thumb over his shoulder to point at the Douche he had left at the bar. “So, you are okay with me cutting our bros’ night short, right?”

“Ehm …” Dean replied and admittedly, it wasn’t the most intelligent thing he could have come up with.

“I mean,” Cas said, stepping a bit closer to Dean. “That’s what you had planned, right? _Wingman_?”

“Uhh … yeah,” Dean finally choked out. “Yeah, sure. I mean … if you’re alright with it?”

He couldn’t be sure – he wasn’t sure of anything at the moment – but he thought he saw a dark shadow flit over Cas’ face, only to be gone the next heartbeat, replaced by his wide grin.

“Of course. Zar is amazing. Thanks for the push, Dean. I’ll talk to you soon, alright?”

Not waiting for Dean’s reply, Cas clapped him on the shoulder and while Dean watched his best friend weave his way back to the bar, he felt like Cas’ touch was burning into his skin.

He still stood and watched when Cas reached Douche again and whispered something into his ear. Cas was rewarded with a quick peck on his cheek that actually made him giggle. It made him fucking _giggle_. Since when had Cas turned into a twelve-year-old girl?

A moment later, Douche got up from his chair and they made their way to the exit, Cas winding his arm around the guy’s torso. When Douche put his hand on Cas’ ass and actually fucking _squeezed_ it, Dean was sure Cas would wake up and slap the guy into next week.

He didn’t.

All his best friend did was to laugh and lean against the asshole and then they were out of Dean’s view.

And what the fuck had just happened?

 

~*~*~*~

 

The moment they left the bar, Cas untangled himself from Zar and looked back over his shoulder.

“You think it worked?” he asked, uneasily biting his lips.

Zar chuckled as he fastened his scarf around his neck. “Did you not see his face? Ten bucks say the two of you will be riding off into the sunset together within the next two weeks.”

Looking back at the man he had met just a few minutes ago, Cas tried to not let his worries and insecurities take root.

It didn’t quite work.

“You know, I think this was a stupid idea after all,” he began, pulling his trench coat a bit closer around himself. “Given Dean’s and my history, he’ll never make a move if he thinks I’m in a relationship. Dean hates the thought of cheating or being the other man.”

“Oh, Hon, please,” Zar said, draping his arm around Cas’ shoulders and pulling him closer as they started to walk away from the bar. There was nothing flirty or sexy about it, and for that Cas was grateful. “It’s not like we’re going to announce our wedding tomorrow. It’s just fake-dating, not fake-happily-ever-after, remember?”

“That might already be enough…”

“Well, if we see it won’t go the way we planned, I’ll just make sure Dean hears me talk about how we’re not serious. Hey, did you drive here?”

“Shoot,” Cas exclaimed. “No, Dean picked me up. He likes to drive ‘cause he loves his car.”

“Well, I would offer to drive you, but I actually walked here. I live close by and I don’t own a car.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just take a cab. It’s not far.”

“Okay,” Zar replied as he let go of Cas just to step up to the street and hail a cab. While he waited for one to pass, he smiled back at Cas. “And about the Dean-thing: don’t worry. If I have to, I’ll be a total douche, so Dean will feel like he’ll actually be saving you by taking you away from me.”

Grinning slightly at that, Cas let out a sigh, even as he took out one of his business cards as well as a pen to scribble down his private number on the back. “I’m still not sure –”

“Have a bit more faith, Castiel,” Zar asked of him, finally waving at an oncoming cab. “Just a bit more faith. If not in the plan, then at least in me.”

“I just met you,” Cas pointed out, stepping towards the curb as the cab stopped right next to them.

Zar held open the door for him, grinning wide. “And I’m not a trustworthy guy? You wound me, Cas.”

Rolling his eyes, Cas handed Zar his business card, said his goodbye, and got into the cab. Zar promised to text him the next day so they could talk about some more details, then closed the door and waved in goodbye. After giving his address to the driver, Castiel leaned back into the seat, trying to wrap his head around what exactly had happened within the last few minutes.

 

_**A few minutes ago** _

Cas stepped up to the bar, unsure not only of himself but about how to proceed. He ordered himself another beer, risking a peek out of the corner of his eyes while he waited for it. Merely one bar chair was separating him from the guy, and all Cas saw was gray clothes. Dean had been right, the guy certainly looked nice. He let his eyes wander back up – and snapped them back forward the moment he was met with an amused grin and eyes that were fixed on him.

A melodic laughter sounded next to him. “I didn’t take you for a shy guy. Then again, I also didn’t think you’d come over, seeing how you’re mooning over your friend there.”

Cas’ head whipped around so fast he was sure he was giving himself whiplash. “ _What?_ ”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not gonna tell him,” the guy said, now fully turning towards Cas. “But it still poses the question: why come over when you could tap that?”

“I’m … we ... I mean,” Cas paused, thankful for the beer put down in front of him. He paid right away and took a big gulp just to have something to do. When he was finally done, the guy still hadn’t said a word, still waiting for him to explain. “Dean and I are just friends. He’s actually trying to hook me up. Something about being my ‘wingman’.” Cas made some air quotes but quickly caught himself. He knew it was ridiculous doing that, even though Dean always said it was cute.

The guy only nodded. “Ah. Is he straight?”

“What? No. No, he … no, Dean’s not straight.”

“And you sure he only wants to be your wingman?”

Cas couldn’t suppress the humorless huff of laughter. “Yeah, trust me: I _am_ sure.” Trying to wash away the bitter words, Cas took another sip of his beer before putting the bottle back down on the counter, starting to play with the label and the condensation – a habit he’d picked up from Dean that actually annoyed himself to no end. Damn it.

“But _you_ would like to be more than just his friend, right?”

Sighing, Cas looked back at the guy. “Why are you asking? I thought you already saw I was _mooning_ over him.”

“Just wanted to get the facts straight.”

“Since when do people care about these facts when they just want a quick hookup?”

The moment the bitter words had left his mouth, Cas could feel his own ears burn up. He dropped his eyes back on his beer bottle, returning to pick at the label, hoping the dim light in the bar hit his blush. The chuckle from Gray Guy didn’t help much to lessen his nervousness.

“And is that what you want? A quick hookup to get your feelings for your best friend out of your system?”

Cas found he was unable to reply, knowing full well that there was no sane or right answer.

After a few seconds of silence, Cas noticed movement next to him and peeked back over. Gray Guy had left his chair and had sat down right next to him, their shoulders almost touching. Without a conscious decision, Cas turned his body to prevent the contact.

“Since I was able to read you like an open book, and clearly made you uncomfortable with that, why don’t we start over? Hey, I’m Balthazar.”

A hand was held out and Cas eyed it for a moment before angling his upper body just right, taking the offered hand. “I’m Castiel. But friends call me Cas.”

“My friends usually call me Zar. Or Balth, if they want to annoy me.”

A small smile tugged at Cas’ lips and he let himself relax against the counter of the bar, body fully facing Zar. All too soon, the little smudge of mirth was gone again.

“Am I really that obvious with my feelings?”

“No,” Zar replied right away, taking a sip of his terribly sweet looking cocktail. “I guess it comes with my job. I’m a professor of psychology and my expertise is human interaction.”

Oh, wow. Yeah, that made sense then.

“Besides,” Zar went on after yet another sip. “I just got out of a long relationship and I probably look the same whenever I think of him, so… yeah.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Cas offered sincerely, only for Zar to brush it away with a wave of his hand.

“It was bound to happen. But enough about me. Why don’t you tell me why you think your friend isn’t interested in you?”

“You make it sound like you think otherwise, Professor I-can-read-people-like-open-books.”

At that, Zar let out a gleeful laugh. “That’s certainly one of the nicest names I’ve ever been called. I should make sure my students call me that in the future.” He finished off his drink and put the empty glass on the counter, turning towards Castiel in the process. “And I can certainly read a lot in how people behave. But just because I can see that he’s attracted to you” – Cas’ head peeked up at that notion – “doesn’t mean I know all the reasons why maybe he won’t make a move after all. For example, is your friend still in the closet?”

“Dean,” Cas offered. “His name’s Dean. And no, he’s not. His friends and family know he’s bi.”

“Okay, so that can’t be the reason. He also doesn’t appear to be uncomfortable with it, seeing how he has no problem with being in a gay bar. Have you been friends for long? Could he maybe fear losing a long-lasting friendship by making a move?”

“No,” Cas replied, trying to force himself to stop picking at the lapel. There wasn’t much left anyway. “No, it’s just been a few months. We met … well, we met under the most unusual circumstances, I guess.”

“Tell me.”

And so Cas did. As fast as he could, because it still hurt even thinking about how he had caught his then-boyfriend with another guy. Even if said other guy had turned out to be a total sweetheart that afterwards had saved his butt in many ways. Who would have thought that today, just a few months later, that other guy would be Cas’ best friend and that Cas would be hopelessly pining for him?

“Okay, I give you that: this is certainly the most unusual first-meeting-story I’ve ever heard.”

“Thanks.”

They both chuckled, before Cas caught movement over at the restroom doors. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he’d seen Dean’s dirty-blond hair. “I think he’s coming back. God, I almost want to ask you to take me home, just so that he’ll stop trying to be my wingman.”

“Then why don’t you?”

Hearing those words, Cas got a gulp of his beer into the wrong pipe and coughed, trying to breathe again. “Wait, what?”

Zar’s eyes were wandering over the crowd as well now before he eagerly leaned over to Cas. “Okay, look, here’s the plan. It’s actually the oldest trick in the book and it’s called: make the man jealous.”

“Are you serious?” Cas exclaimed, looking incredulously at the man he’d just met.

Taking another quick look over the crowd, Zar pulled Cas away from the bar and between his legs. Cas was too shocked to resist. “Now who’s the professor of human behavior here? Trust me Cas. It might take a bit, but Dean seems like the type of guy that will explode eventually and fight for what he wants.”

“And what he wants is …”

“ _You_ , of course, you idiot. Now come here and kiss me.”

“ _What?_ ”

Not giving Cas any time to really think this through, Zar pulled him into a kiss. Cas was stock still and only a second later, Zar stopped kissing and looked at him with a grin. “This will only work if you’re into it.”

With that, Zar leaned back in and caught his lips again. This time, Cas was prepared. And kissing Zar actually felt nice, his lips soft and the lingering taste of oranges and sugar on his tongue.

_Why the hell not?_

With that thought, Cas leaned into the kiss and let himself enjoy it. Zar was an excellent kisser and Cas had always liked kissing, so why not? And if it would help him get Dean, in the end, it was even better.

A few moments later, Zar ended the kiss and Castiel could feel his breath first on his neck and then close to his ear. “Don’t look now,” Zar murmured and the feeling actually let Cas shiver. Not that he felt attracted to the man in that way, but this _was_ an intimate position after all, and Zar played it out fully. “But your Dean is watching us and he looks as if someone just slapped him and then shot his puppy. Now, laugh like you mean it. Like I’ve just told you something really funny.”

Cas had never been the best of actors, but he thought about the funny cat video Sam had sent him just this morning and the laugh bubbled out of him. It sounded real enough to his own ears and when he looked back at Zar, he saw a smile shining on the guy’s lips. Leaning back in, Zar whispered into his ear again. “Awesome. Now go get your jacket so we can leave together. Don’t look at him until you’re there. Act like it’s just a coincidence you’re running into him. You think you can do that?”

“Yes, I can certainly do that,” he replied with more confidence than he was actually feeling right now. To hide his nerves, he leaned in and pressed a quick peck on Zar’s lips, surprising the both of them, but also making them both smile. Maybe it was a stupid plan. But then again, at the very least, he could hope that Dean would stop trying to be his wingman after this.

With that thought in mind, he skipped over to the pool table to get his trench coat.


	2. A bros' night in

**Chapter 2**

 

Dean was in a fucking bad mood.

It had been two weeks now since Cas had gone home with  _Zar_ , as he kept insisting Dean should call the asshole. Two weeks that had been absolute hell, because the guy seemed to be  _everywhere_. There was hardly a minute Dean got his best friend alone anymore. And when he did, it was constantly, “Zar this,” and, “Balthazar that,” and, “Oh my God, Dean, thank you so much for pushing me in that direction.”

_Yeah, well, fuck my life._

Dean still had no real idea why this whole thing annoyed him so much, but it must have been a mix of a few things. One, the way Cas had turned into a teenage girl. Next thing Dean knew, they would have slumber parties and braid Sam’s hair or some shit.

Two, Zar was grating on his last nerve. The guy was too damn perfect. With his stupid hot body and his stupid sexy accent and that stupid fucking smile and –

Well, he was an asshole. No one could be so perfect and not hide something.

And three – and Dean was pretty sure that was the main reason – was the fact how fast all this had happened. Sure, he’d pushed Cas in that direction, but he had thought of it more in the way of “love ‘em and leave ‘em” than what Cas was doing here. Because Dean was pretty sure that soon, Cas would tell him that he’d move in with Zar. Or ask him to marry him.

God, that thought made him want to puke.

At least tonight was their night. Football season had finally started again and as had become some tradition of theirs within the last season, they would watch it at Cas’ apartment. Sam usually watched it with his buddies from college, so Dean would have to sit alone in their apartment. That was until almost nine months ago when Dean had been over at Cas’ apartment to help him move in. First, the game had only been running in the background, but after most of the stuff had been where it was supposed to go, they had ordered some pizza and then sat down and watched the other games. Ever since, they had let it become a weekly thing.

If Dean was lucky, Cas would shut up about Zar for at least this one night.

Picking up the six pack and the two bags of nachos from the passenger seat, Dean got out of his Baby and made his way over to Cas’ apartment building. He was rung up and jogged the two flights of stairs instead of bothering with the way too slow elevator. As was the norm, Cas’ door stood open once he got there and Dean walked right in.

“I hope your awesome nacho dips are ready, the cheese grated, and the oven preheated,” he called into the room, kicking off his shoes. “I’m starving and kickoff is in just –”

The rest of the sentence got stuck in Dean’s throat as he came face to face with the very man that had become the bane of his existence in just two weeks.

“Hey, there, Dean-o. How’s it going?”

Staring at the Douche lounging on the couch – in Dean’s spot, no less!!! – Dean needed a moment to unfreeze. Without a word he turned and made his way into the kitchen where he could hear Cas tinkering. As he entered the room, Cas looked over his shoulder, smiling at him.

“Dean, oh hey, perfect timing. Everything’s ready for the nachos to be put in the oven.”

“What is  _he_  doing here?” Dean asked without any further preamble.

“Who?”

“ _Who?_  How many guys are you hiding in your apartment?”

A frown appeared on Cas’ pretty face – wait, on Cas’ face. Not … not the pretty part. That was totally uncalled for.

“You mean Zar then?”

“Yes,  _Zar_. What’s he doing here?”

“He’s going to watch the games with us.”

“Why?”

“Because I asked him if he wanted to join in.”

Baffled, Dean stared at Cas while his best friend quickly prepared the nachos and put them in the oven to get the cheese melted.

There was a bitter taste on Dean’s tongue and his stomach was a twisted mess.

“So what? You two are a thing now? Can’t be without the other anymore?” He might throw up, depending on Cas’ answer.

His friend looked at him with real confusion. “No, why would you think that? We’re dating, nothing more. Yet, I guess.”

“Great, so is this what it will look like in case you  _do_  decide to go steady? The two of you attached at the hip?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“ _I’m_  being ridiculous?”

“Dean, what’s your problem?”

“ _He’s_  my problem! And him being here. This is  _our_  thing.”

“It still is,” Cas replied, looking at Dean as if he was crazy. “I’m just doing what you asked of me: spending more time with other people as well.”

“But …”

“But what?”

Did Dean just imagine it or was Cas challenging him?

Taking a deep breath, Dean tried to find another angle. One that would actually make sense. “Cas, when I said you should get out there again, I didn’t mean for you to jump into another relationship right away. Why not have a little bit of fun first?”

“I  _am_  having fun, Dean. Or at least I was until you decided to play buzzkill for us.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry about that,” Dean replied sarcastically, but Cas ignored it and went right on.

“And just for your information: I’ve told you plenty of times I’m not the guy for quick hookups. It’s dating and the prospect of something serious for me, or nothing.”

The oven timer pinged and Cas busied himself getting the nachos out, putting them on the counter before turning back to Dean.

“Now, will you behave like my best friend again and enjoy the evening with us? Or will you continue to mope like you’re jealous or something?”

Glaring at Cas for that comment, Dean turned around and left for the living room, plopping down on the far end of the big couch, leaving enough space for Cas to sit in the middle. He didn’t say a word as he opened the six-pack and put it on the table, taking the first beer out for himself. A moment later, Cas placed the nachos on the table and sat down with a beer as well, handing another bottle over to the Douche.

“Thanks, Cheri.”

Rolling his eyes, Dean turned the volume up, pretending to listen intently to all the pregame stuff while he filled his plate with various dips and a good helping of nachos.

“Leave something for the rest of us, Dean-o.”

With the last shred of willpower, Dean bit his tongue and counted to ten. Through gritted teeth, he tried to press out his next words as friendly as could be. “Well, if I’d known we would have company, I would have brought more.”

“Oh, no worries,” Zar said, filling the other two plates – as if Cas wasn’t old enough to do it himself. Douchebag! “I brought some pie for dessert, so we’ll certainly get you fed.”

Hastily, Dean munched down on a big helping of cheesy nachos with Cas’ amazing jalapeno dip. No way would he hand out extra points to that asshole or let himself be bribed with pie. Most likely, Cas had told him Dean’s weakness.

The game started and Dean kept busy munching his nachos, trying to ignore everything else. All too soon, Cas was done eating and leaned against Zar, who put an arm around his shoulders.

Dean was seething, hardly able to enjoy any of the game as it moved from the first to the second quarter. Even in the third quarter, he was still angrily munching on his nachos now and then. Anything to not have to talk.

Cas’ words from before came back to him unbidden somewhere between the third and the fourth quarter. Was Dean acting jealous?

 _Was_  he jealous?

And if so … of what?

Was it that his best friend had found someone while Dean still hadn’t?

No, that couldn’t be it. Dean hadn’t even been looking, he had been happy with how it was. Between his work and his friends and spending time with Cas, he hadn’t felt the need to search for a relationship.

But now it seemed he no longer had Cas and –

Oh.

_Oh._

Dean choked on his beer, the realization hitting him out of nowhere.

 _No way_.

“You okay?” Cas asked, concern lacing his voice.

Dean could only nod, trying to get his breathing under control. When Cas’ hand landed on his back, most likely to soothe him, he jumped up and fled to the bathroom, just barely able to keep himself from slamming the door shut. Once his breathing was back to almost normal, the scratching in his throat just forcing out a cough now and then, he started the water and turned it to cold. Washing his face, Dean tried to calm down.

This could not be. This could not be happening. He wasn’t … not really, right?

“Fuck,” Dean breathed out, the momentous epiphany almost choking him.

He was in love with Cas.

He had fallen for his best friend.

His best friend who was now with someone else.

How had he been so blind?

“Fuck,” he repeated, washing his face again and again, trying to calm his thoughts.

A knock on the door made him jump out of his skin. “Dean, everything okay? You’ve been in there for a while. You actually missed the end of the game.”

“I’m –” Dean began, stopping himself right away to clear his throat and bring his voice down from the high-pitched level. “I’m okay. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Okay.”

Listening to Cas’ feet retreating, Dean closed his eyes.

He needed to leave. He could not watch one second more of the two lovebirds all snuggled up on the couch. Cas would most likely think Dean was still being a baby and leaving because of Zar… well, technically, he wasn’t wrong.

“Fuck,” Dean said for a third time, before drying his face and getting himself ready to face the music.

Still thinking about what to say – maybe he could fake a stomach ache? His long time in the bathroom would reinforce that lie – Dean entered the living room.

It was empty.

Frowning, he went into the kitchen, preparing himself to run into Cas and Asshole kissing. However, all he found was Cas putting their plates in the dishwasher.

“Where is he?”

Blue eyes landed on him, only to turn back around as he put the last plate into the machine and then closed the door, standing back up straight. “He left.”

Cas’ voice was completely neutral, nothing betraying his feelings about his date’s early departure. Maybe it hadn’t been early? Maybe it had been the plan for Zar to only stay the first game all along?

“Ehm … why?” Dean asked hesitantly.

Cas fixed him with one of those intense stares of his that always left Dean feeling exposed. However, never had he felt as bare as he did now, so shortly after finally realizing his own feelings. “Something came up,” was Cas’ simple reply.

“Ah.”

Very eloquent.

“Dean?” Cas said, pushing away from the counter and slowly walking towards him. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Dean choked out right away, hoping the heat in his ears was not there because they were flaming red.

“I don’t believe you,” Cas replied, still etching closer inch by inch. “You’ve been acting weird, ever since I met Zar.”

He tried not to react, but he knew he’d failed when Cas tilted his head to the side and studied him closely.

“See, that’s exactly what I mean. Why the dark look? What has Zar ever done to you?”

“Nothing,” Dean said again, his voice barely above a whisper. But Cas was already close, he’d probably heard him anyway.

“Dean, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly.”

Gulping, Dean nodded.

“Are you jealous of Zar?”

_Fuck._

 

~*~*~*~

 

Cas’ heart was beating in his throat and he had no idea what was possessing him that he was actually able to behave so calmly. Maybe it was all the pep talks Zar had given him over the past two weeks. The two of them had spent some time together and Cas found he really liked the man’s snarky nature. Dean would probably kill him for even thinking this, but Cas had a feeling that the two men weren’t that different.

Over getting to know each other to make their story of actually dating believable, Cas would say they really had become friends and he was certain he would continue hanging out with Zar even after their little charade was over.

The most important thing Zar had done for him – besides playing his fake-love-interest to rile up Dean – was to give him a heavy dose of new self-confidence. He hadn’t even consciously realized that since the incident with his ex his confidence had basically been non-existent. Dean had helped a lot to not lose himself completely, but Cas had fallen for him too fast, so his words and actions seemed to have a completely different meaning for Cas. Having Zar, as a neutral friend, tell him that he was worth all the good in the world, was amazing. Besides, Zar’s expertise in human psychology was indeed helpful. Over the last two weeks, he has analyzed every move Dean had made, every word he’d spoken or not spoken. All with the conclusion that Dean was head over heels for Cas but hadn’t realized it himself just yet.

Joining them during a tradition just meant for the two of them had been Zar’s idea and while it pained Cas, he’d seen the reasoning behind it.

“Looks like it worked,” Zar had said the moment the bathroom door shut. He had gotten up and promised Cas that he could trust him. “I do this for a living, after all.” Cas wasn’t really convinced by that argument – after all, he handled money for a living, didn’t mean he was a millionaire – but he’d still nodded when Zar had hugged him goodbye and told him to finally talk to Dean. “Have faith. You’ll see: I’m an awesome wingman.” He’d only chuckled when Cas had slapped him on the shoulder for that statement.

And now here Cas was, heart beating in his throat so loudly he was sure Dean must be able to hear it. But Dean seemed to be just as nervous.

Cas finally took that leap of faith.

“Are you jealous of Zar?”

Dean’s eyes went wide before he could catch himself. After a moment, he stuttered out: “Wha- why – I mean – no, why would – why would you think that?”

That was not the self-confident Dean Winchester Cas knew. It was also not the reply of someone feeling repulsed or weirded out by the mere thought.

It gave Cas the confidence to push on. “Don’t lie to me, please.” When Dean averted his eyes, Cas gulped and went even further. “Dean, please. I need you to be honest right now.”

Once Dean had given up pretending, it was actually easy reading him. Cas could see it the moment his shoulders sagged, all defense gone.

“What do you want me to say?” He looked up with sad eyes. “That I’ve been grumpy because we spend less time with each other now that you’re dating? That I was an ass to Zar because it felt like he was taking you away from me? That –” Dean broke off, gulping a lungful of air down and brushed a hand through his hair before continuing. “That I only now realized  _why_  I feel that way and that I know it’s too late now?”

Cas’ heart was racing a mile a minute and his thoughts weren’t far behind. That or they were completely blank, he didn’t quite know. All he knew was that Dean had just admitted his feelings for him. Softly, he put a hand on his friend’s chest, causing the green eyes to go wide once more, still fixed on his own. “What if it’s not too late?”

“Cas, I …” Dean’s tongue darted out, wetting his lips and almost hypnotizing Cas in the process. “I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy. I’m not going to ruin that for you. Not again.”

“First of all,” Cas said, inching even closer. “You didn’t ruin my relationship with Michael. You didn’t know about me and I can’t think of a way you could have handled that situation any better the moment you found out. So stop blaming yourself for that. And secondly,” he added, his free hand reaching for Dean’s. “You wouldn’t ruin anything now.”

“What?” Dean looked confused, but he still reacted when Cas’ hand touched his, his fingers closing around Cas’ right away. “You seem happy with the guy.”

“What if I told you that I’m not?” Dean’s eyes were searching his rapidly. “What if I told you that I would be happier with you instead of him?” Dean’s free hand brushed over his hip, sending a spark all through Cas’ body, shaking him for just a hint of a second. It seemed enough of a reaction to encourage Dean. His grip tightened, drawing Cas closer a few inches. Cas’ eyes fluttered for a moment at the feeling of butterflies soaring all around his body, not sticking to his stomach at all. “What if,” he breathed out, “what if I told you it’s you I want to date?”

“I would say, lose that guy’s number.”

Within the next heartbeat, Dean’s lips closed over his with a soft moan. Ecstatic, Cas let himself melt against Dean’s body, fingers digging into his shirt, trying to pull Dean even closer. Way too soon, Dean stopped.

“Wait a second.”

“Please don’t say you’ve changed your mind,” Cas whined, not above begging for Dean to stay with him at this moment.

To his immense relief, Dean chuckled and placed a butterfly kiss on his nose. “Never. But … Cas, I know you said it wasn’t serious with Zar yet, but … you know how I feel about cheating and –”

“It’s okay. You know I would never do that either.”

“So you already broke up with him?”

“Actually …” Cas said, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks. Now that he was going to admit it, the plan sounded really, really stupid. “Ehm … promise not to get mad?”

When Dean only frowned, Cas took a deep breath and rushed it all out in one go: “Zar and I never dated, it was just a stupid ruse to make you jealous, and it was all Zar’s idea. I’m kinda sorry for tricking you but somehow not really ‘cause it also kinda worked and –”

“Wait, wait, wait, slow down,” Dean interrupted, pulling away from Cas and letting him go.

Cas had the very childish desire to do some impression of a monkey or an octopus, winding all his limbs around the man while whining “No, no, no, stay.” He did no such thing but gave Dean the time and room he needed to comprehend what Cas had just told him.

“You played that? You tricked me?”

“Ehm … yeah?” Cas carefully replied, hardly able to meet Dean’s gaze.

The man still looked thunderstruck. “So … you’re not dating Zar at all?”

“No.”

“And all that so I would get jealous and realize my feelings for you?”

“I’m really sorry, Dean. Zar,” Cas sighed. “He thought it would help. He saw how I was making mooneyes at you at the bar and when I came over, we got to talking, and he said you were –  _nghm_ –”

That’s as far as Cas got before Dean’s lips sealed his mouth shut again. This time, Dean was a bit more eager, pushing them back until Cas bumped into the counter, his legs automatically giving way for Dean to step between them.

“Mooneyes, mh?” Dean murmured against his lips, his voice deep and husky.

“His words, not mine,” Cas pressed out, completely breathless already, his hands gripping tightly at Dean’s hair. His legs felt like jelly.

Dean nibbled at the cleft of his chin, driving Cas crazy. “I think Zar just made a 180 in my books. I think I like the guy.”

“Happy to hear.”

That was the last talking either of them did for a while, their lips too busy mapping out the other’s mouth and neck. Despite the temporary heat between them, their clothes stayed where they were. Mostly. Cas didn’t know if Dean just wanted to take it slow, knowing that Cas wasn’t the guy for quick hookups, or if it was simply their location. Either way, he wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or not.

“Wanna move this to the couch?” Dean whispered out after what could have been hours or maybe just seconds. When Cas opened his eyes, the kitchen lay in a dim twilight, so the former was more likely.

Making a decision on the spot, Cas shook his head. “No, but if you wanna stay the night, we could move this to the bedroom.”

The thought alone seemed enough to pull a groan out of Dean. “Don’t tempt me. I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to keep my hands to myself if we share a bed.”

A wide smile spread across Cas’ face and he leaned in for another kiss. Taking Dean’s hand and pulling him out of the kitchen, he winked at Dean.

“I like your wandering hands.”

He swore he saw fire lighting up Dean’s eyes and with a gleeful laugh, he made a quick detour to switch off the TV and the lights in the living room before steering them both towards his bedroom. All the while, Dean was all over him, making it hard for Cas to think, let alone move. They still made it to his bed somehow, where they took their sweet time undressing the other piece by piece.

Somewhere between one of their jeans landing on the floor and the other being tugged open, Dean kissed his way back up Cas’ body and towards his ear, nibbling on his earlobe before breathing out his question. “You sure this isn’t moving too fast for you?”

“Are you still going to be here in the morning?”

“Of course,” Dean replied, letting his hot hand wander over Cas’ side.

Cas arched into the touch, sighing deeply at the heat it sparked all through his body. “And are you going to take me on a date soon?”

“Anytime, wherever you wanna go.”

Before his next question, Cas pulled Dean’s face up, cradling it in his hands. Dean’s green eyes sparkled against his flushed red cheeks and it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. “Is this something serious for you or just a quick fling with your best friend?”

“As serious as one can be when he’s falling for his best friend,” Dean replied without hesitation. Cas whimpered at the admission and pulled him into another kiss.

The rest of their clothing was gone quickly after that, Cas eagerly reaching for the lube and a condom on the shelf next to the bed. The orange glow of his rock salt lamps was just enough illumination to see Dean’s eyes spark with lust as he first looked at the lube bottle, and then slowly began to kiss his way down Cas’ body.

Cas let bottle and condom drop on the mattress, his hands sinking into Dean’s hair just as Dean took his throbbing cock into his mouth.

“Oh God,” Cas moaned out, his eyes slowly fluttering shut. The sensation, however, didn’t last long. Instead, Dean hooked one of Cas’ legs over his shoulder, sinking even lower.

The first touch of Dean’s tongue over his hole made Cas groan loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

Not that he gave a damn as Dean was slowly eating him out. Cas was so far gone, he hardly noticed Dean tapping his hip, motioning for Cas to turn over. He helped him get comfortable, one of his hands never leaving Cas’ asscheek, slowly making sure that Cas was losing his mind. Once he was spread out on his stomach, his head comfortably resting on the pillow he was hugging close with his arms, Dean left sweet kisses all along his back, making him shiver and sigh with pleasure. Soon enough, his little sighs turned into moans again. Dean knew exactly how to use that tongue of his and Cas was floating in heaven. He was so far gone with pleasure he was almost able to ignore the constant throbbing of his cock. And he completely missed the moment Dean got his hands on the lube bottle. But it must have happened somewhere along the way, because when his fingers joined his tongue, they were slick, the cold of the lube a pleasure that ripped a groan from Cas.

“So good,” he heard Dean whisper as he pressed kisses to his back, just above his ass. “God, I can’t believe it took me so long.”

Not sure if Dean had meant to be heard, Cas chose not to answer. Not that he would have been able to form any coherent words anyway, as this was the moment Dean found his prostate. Gripping the pillow tight, Cas actually bit into it to keep himself from blacking out from all the pleasure. Dean was three fingers in by now, not stopping the kisses all over his back, his other hand switching between gripping Cas’ ass-cheeks and wandering up and down his spine, leaving goosebumps along its way. There were so many sensations all at once and yet not enough.

“Dean, please.” His own voice sounded foreign to him, raspy and dark from all the moaning and groaning. A growl behind him told Cas that there was something Dean really liked, although Cas had no idea if it was his begging or his hoarse voice.

A moment later, Dean pressed himself flat against Cas’ back, biting softly into his shoulder. “I love when you beg, but you need to be patient.”

“I will be patient once you’re inside of me. Dean,  _please_.”

Dean growled again, directly next to Cas’ ear this time, sending waves of pleasure through his body. He bit him again, a bit harder this time, and Cas groaned. If Dean continued like this, Cas would come way too soon.

After the bite, Dean got back up, carefully pulling his fingers out of Cas’ ass.

Watching as Dean opened the condom and put it on, slicking his cock with a generous amount of lube, Cas couldn’t wait to have Dean inside of him.

Ignoring his own need, Cas untangled one arm from the pillow and reached for Dean. The angle was awkward and he couldn’t reach far enough back to actually get ahold of the man, but Dean seemed to get it and leaned down, kissing all along Cas’ shoulder blades. When Cas turned his head in a clear invitation for a kiss, Dean pulled back slightly.

“Cas, my mouth was just –”

“Don’t care,” Cas whispered, pulling Dean close. He really didn’t care about the taste, all he wanted was to kiss Dean. Once he seemed to realize that, Dean was just as eager to reciprocate.

Ending the kiss, Cas let his head sink into the pillow again, slightly pushing his butt out in invitation, actually smirking at Dean when he felt the cock brush against his cheeks.

“God, you’re so damn hot,” Dean breathed out, leaning down for another quick kiss, before finally positioning himself between Cas’ legs.

Every inch that Dean sank into him brought Cas higher and higher. Dean took his damn sweet time, pulling back out every few inches, just to start over again, going a little further on the next turn. He had no idea where Dean got his self-restraint from, but he thanked and cursed the gods above for it. At long last, Dean bottomed out and not even a heartbeat later, his whole body was draped over Cas’, his warm breath right next to Cas’ ear, his neck, his shoulder. Dean was everywhere and Cas was almost sobbing with how good it felt.

He actually did when Dean began to move his hips, gently, sinfully, the speed only slowly increasing.

“Dean, oh God.”

Dean’s hands caressed along Cas’ arms, following them under the pillow until he reached the back of his hands. Without hesitation, Cas loosened the iron-tight grip he had on the pillow, giving Dean a chance to intertwine their fingers. His grip was tight, almost painful, but the pleasure of having Dean so close, his hips snapping into him faster now – it was all-consuming.

“Fuck, Cas.  _Yes_ , so good. So good.”

Dean’s chanting was a broken whisper, slurred even further the more erratic his hips became. Cas couldn’t answer, words had long since left him. Every snap of Dean’s hips shook him hard enough that he moved along the bed, giving just the slightest bit of friction for his own cock.

It wasn’t much, but it was sure as hell more than enough. Because Cas was sure he would come any second now, with or without friction on his cock.

But he would love to feel Dean’s touch.

Not able to speak, Cas began to push back against Dean’s hip, gaining just the slightest bit of room. Their hands were still intertwined, so when he moved his right one, Dean’s moved with. The motion seemed to irritate Dean for a moment, his hand resisting. Quickly enough, however, he let go of Cas’ hand and moved his upper body a bit to give them both room, pulling Cas’ hips up far enough for his hand to fit under.

The moment Dean’s hand encircled his cock and jacked him off, Cas was gone. He threw his head back, leaning it against Dean’s shoulder, as his orgasm ripped through him. Dean’s hand never stopped.

Completely spent, Cas sank the few inches back down on the mattress, holding onto the pillow as the movement of Dean’s hips became uncontrolled. After three more deep strokes, Cas squeezed his ass, a small smile forming on his lips when Dean cried out, coming inside of him. He held himself up for all of five seconds, before collapsing onto Cas. Their hands found each other once more, and even though Dean’s weight quickly became too heavy and his breath was tingling Cas’ neck, Cas wasn’t willing to move a single muscle.

This was by far the best sex he had ever had and if he hadn’t been so completely and utterly spent, he would have laughed with glee about how this all had turned out. Instead, he let Dean’s steadily slowing heartbeat and his slight snoring lull him into a little nap. Clean-up could certainly wait for later.

 

~*~*~*~

 

As it turned out, between the two of them, Zar was a way better wingman than Dean. But then again, neither Cas nor Dean cared, because in return, Dean was certainly the better boyfriend-material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really happy I finally got to post this ^_^ it had been written for a few weeks now and I know a lot of people have been waiting for the next part of "Hookup". And good news: the third and last part of this series was my second entry for the SPN AU Big Bang, so it will be posted in just a few days ;)


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